


To Forgive

by 0venm1tt



Series: Patch, New Hampshire [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Awkward Shenanigans, College, Fluff, Multi, so weiss needs a goddamn hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:21:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26889541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0venm1tt/pseuds/0venm1tt
Summary: A loosely related sequel to From Hell. No spoilers that for that fic that aren't in the tags. Also, no smut this time.That said, tw for self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Series: Patch, New Hampshire [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1961833
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

It was a comfortable sort of Friday night, the kind that almost made Ruby Rose forget her problems. Everything had changed for the worse in her life over the course of about a day. Most of her friends, including her older sister, Yang, had moved away to the city of Vale for college. Though they still came back to Patch to visit, the fact remained that the only peer she had left was Weiss Schnee, her best friend. That came with its own complication: she was still incredibly busy in her own right. Forgoing university, Weiss was working with her fabulously wealthy father, Jacques, in their business of private security. They called every night, and hung out every weekend, but compounded with Ruby entering her junior year of high school, it felt like they were drifting apart. And that was a possibility that she would kill to avoid, on account of one of the two secrets she held.

The first, and more potent, secret was that she was madly in love with Weiss. Hell, it wasn’t even that she was necessarily gay or bi; Weiss was the only person she had ever harbored feelings for. Trying to determine when it began (and if it would ever end) had proved futile. But every night, Ruby would hold her pillow snugly in her arms and imagine that Weiss was there in its stead, and that they were protecting one another from any harm that might come. In her heart of hearts, though, she knew that her feelings would never be reciprocated. No, being Weiss’s friend and supporter would have to suffice. It hurt a bit, but it was for the best.

For now, Ruby held her phone in her hand, laying back on the couch in her living room as her dark brown hair fell about a pillow. Her father was out of the house for the time being, leaving the family cafe and bakery closed for the time being. Working there part-time was fun for her, as she enjoyed baking as much as her other hobbies (such as video games and playing guitar). Everyone said that the brunette was a prodigy with the culinary arts, but she didn’t see how that was the case. All she did was tweak old family recipes slightly. To a degree, it felt patronizing, which was why she had yet to cook for Weiss. She couldn’t bear to force her friend into a situation where she was forced to act as if her food was better than it actually was.

Someone knocked at the door. Jumping slightly, Ruby straightened her scarlet hoodie and briskly walked to the entryway, and opening the door revealed Weiss. Her neat white hair was pulled into a ponytail, allowing the shape of her pale face to be fully exposed. Bloodshot sky-blue eyes peered at the younger girl, appearing puffier than normal. Her clothing was uncharacteristically casual, without even any jewelry to top off her blouse and leggings. A duffel suitcase was clutched tightly in her left hand, and alarm bells went off in Ruby’s head. Raindrops splattered on the walkway and Weiss’s hair, and she said, her voice kept low, “Hi, Ruby. Can I come in for a second?”

“Of course. Hold on, I’ll get you a towel.”

Weiss walked inside, and within thirty seconds, Ruby had ran to the bathroom and back, a fluffy grey towel in her arms. While her friend dried herself, the brunette said, “Have a seat. Can I, uh, get you anything?”

The older girl sat on the sofa. “That won’t be necessary.”

Ruby sat next to her. “Alright. Are you okay?”

“Not really. My dad kicked me out of th- his house.”

A pit forming in her stomach, Ruby leaned forwards and hugged her crush before sitting back up swiftly, remembering that Weiss hated physical contact. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

The white-haired girl practically leapt forwards and flung her arms tightly around her friend. “Don’t bother apologizing.” She breathed deeply. “You’re the only person I can count on anymore.”

“Weiss…” Ruby swallowed, embracing her again. “Please stay here for a little while.”

“I couldn’t. I refuse to place a burden upon you and your father.”

“You’re not a burden, dude. I’d love to have you around.” Love. If only Weiss knew the full extent of that sentiment. “My dad will be home on Sunday, we’ll ask him then.”

“I suppose. Where is he, anyway?”

“There was a bit of a family emergency that needed him to leave the state. I was at school at the time, so I’m kind of holding down the fort for the weekend.” Ruby closed her eyes. With Weiss’s head on her shoulder, she felt warm on the inside, much to her own chagrin. How could she take enjoyment from the contact when her friend was in the middle of a crisis? Especially when said friend strongly disliked being touched? In the hopes of making it up to her, she quickly said, “I can stop hugging you if you want.”

“Please don’t let go. Just this once.” Her voice shook, and her back muscles were tense as could be. Ruby traced her fingers up and down the length of her crush’s spine, holding onto the faint hope that it might help. Immediately, Weiss’s grip tightened, and her body heaved as tears spilled onto her friend’s neck and sweatshirt. Heart breaking, the brunette stuttered, “J-just a second.” She detached one of her arms, reaching under the coffee table into a wicker basket, from which she pulled a striped crocheted blanket and draped it over the both of them before fully embracing her friend again. Softly whispering, she said, “It’s gonna be okay, Weiss. You’re safe here.”

There was a sense of doing something right that gripped Ruby. Back when she first entered middle school, a trio of students made a hobby of relentlessly bullying her, mostly on account of her introversion and awkwardness. They were smart enough to keep an eye out for and avoid Yang, but little did they know that she had other friends. More specifically, it was Weiss who brought an unprecedented degree of fury upon them, as well as going out of her way to accompany her friend from then on. And ever since then, they had been inseparable, and Ruby felt grateful for her, even independent of her romantic feelings. And now the time had come where Weiss needed a proper friend.

At the time the clock turned to midnight, they were still under the blanket, but they now each held a steaming mug of green tea in their hands. To Ruby’s relief, her friend’s breathing was back to being perfectly steady. They still maintained physical contact, albeit in a different manner. Sitting on opposite ends of the couch, they extended their legs towards one another, in such a way that their feet were aligned with each other’s hips. Ruby felt as if she were in heaven with the young woman she loved so close, and she stifled a happy sigh as she slunk further into the confines of the covers. Weiss spoke up. “I’ll be getting a job soon, by the way. Just as far as earning my keep goes.”

“Don’t worry about that. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

“I’d prefer to anyways. My father froze my bank accounts, so I’m effectively broke.”

“Oh.” Perhaps it was how tired she was, but an idea came to the younger girl that she couldn’t help but blurt out. “Maybe you could work with me at the Mountain Signal?”

“Your family’s cafe?”

“Uh, y-yeah.” God, how could she think that wasn’t a stupid offer?

“I suppose that could work out. I’ll say that I’m not much of a cook, though.”

“That’s probably fine. We’ll see what my dad says when he gets back.”

Weiss nodded. Yawning, it hit Ruby how heavy her eyelids had become. She tiredly said, “It’s really late, we should probably get some sleep. Oh, actually, where do you want to sleep?”

“If it’s not too much to ask, can I stay in your room? I… I don’t want to sleep alone. At least, not for tonight.”

Heart pounding, Ruby responded, “Yeah, no problem.”

Laying in bed with her pillow in her arms, Ruby began to doze off into a deep slumber, the soft sound of Weiss’s deep breathing lulling her away. Silver eyes gently closing, she reflected upon the evening. It hurt her deeply to see someone she cared about so much in pain, and even now, a part of her still felt like hugging her friend close and reassuring her that it would all be fine, and that nothing would hurt her anymore. But as the white-haired girl slept in Yang’s old bed across the room, Ruby chose to resign herself to the part of herself that held onto the faint trace of a hope that maybe, just maybe, her crush could love her back.


	2. Chapter 2

Weiss Schnee was a stupid, worthless dyke.

At the very least, that was what her father had told her when she came out as bisexual yesterday evening. And frankly, she found it hard to disagree with that. It was stupid of her to come to Ruby’s house for sanctuary, and to take advantage of the hospitality of the only friend she had left in Patch. For what else could one call her actions besides selfish? She stood up, and looked over at the empty bed where Ruby had slept. After washing her face, she looked up at the mirror. Oh, how she hated her eyes. She had never seen an image of them that reflected any semblance of warmth or life. There was only a biting, empty cold.

When she walked out into the kitchen, Ruby was bustling around, still in her pajamas as she moved a towering plate of pancakes to the table. Her grey eyes gleamed as she caught sight of Weiss, who was completely astounded. First, she offers a place to sleep, and then she still makes breakfast the next morning? And all without proper thanks? Sitting down, the ex-heiress quietly said, “I don’t know what to say.”

Ruby, sitting across from her and pouring maple syrup over her pancakes, asked cheerily, “What do you mean?”

“I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”

The brunette swallowed a bite of her breakfast, blushing all the while. “Oh, um, don’t worry about it. I’m happy to help.”

“If you say so.” As she ate, the true source of Weiss’s guilt bore through her gut, making even the softness of Ruby’s gaze seem piercing and horrifying. Though they were now friends, when they met in elementary school, the opposite couldn’t have been more true. When they first met, Weiss harbored a strong dislike for the girl. Looking back, the reasoning behind it was completely ridiculous. Ruby was a mere kindergartener, and her attempts at befriending someone were met with unwarranted annoyance and harshness, all because the target of her friendliness didn’t want to be seen hanging around someone younger and less “cool.” Granted, it didn’t take too long for Weiss to warm up to her (due largely to Yang’s influence), but the fact remained that Ruby was always a bit awkward when it came to socialization. Comparing that to how forward she was when they first met, it killed Weiss to know that she probably played a role in reinforcing these traits. Throughout their friendship, the white-haired girl had dedicated herself to being there for Ruby, for anything she could need, in the vain hope of atoning for her mistakes. Now, there was no better time to apologize and get everything in the open, seeing as they had the whole day to themselves.

“Ruby?”

“Hm?” She looked up, mouth full of fluffy pancakes and an unhealthy amount of maple syrup.

“I want to apologize. In fact, I should have apologized many years ago.”

Swallowing, she replied, “Wait, but you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I don’t know about that. Look, I really shouldn’t have been so cruel to you back when we first met.”

“Oh, that? I don’t even really remember that, so no worries.”

“I’m glad you’ve forgiven me, but… It’s just that you were so- so exuberant back then, and you sort of withdrew ever since then, so to speak. I feel bad that I might have played a part in that, and I’m deeply sorry.”

Ruby gulped. “Uh, there’s a different reason for that.” She dropped her eyes to her food, wringing her hands. “And you probably gathered this, but you can’t tell anyone. I mean, Blake and Jaune don’t even know.”

“You have my word.” Weiss nodded.

Nervously smiling as a trace of a blush returned to her cheeks, Ruby cleared her throat and quietly murmured, “I’m on the autism spectrum, and social situations are just generally kind of… wonky with me.”

There was no universe in which Weiss could have seen that reveal coming. Gingerly, she asked, “There’s nothing wrong with that. How come you never told me?”

“I don’t know. It’s stupid, but I didn’t want you to think any less of me.”

Weiss took a hold of her friend’s hand. “Don’t even say that. You’re my best friend, autistic or not.”

The younger girl beamed. “Thanks, Weiss. You’re a really great friend.”

“As are you, Ruby.”

They spent the rest of the day hiking in the mountains, before stopping at a cliffside clearing in the sprawling woods and laying down to look up at the sky as fluffy clouds drifted past. The brunette took out her phone, and let out an exasperated laugh. “Ah, jeez. So, Yang may or may not have accidentally eaten a bunch of pot brownies.”

“That sister of yours, I swear.”

“I love her to death, but she’s… she’s kind of hard to keep up with.”

“That’s putting it awfully mildly, don’t you think?”

Ruby snickered. “You’re funnier than you give yourself credit for, Weiss.”

Before she could answer, the wind howled. In Patch, especially in the mountains, even early autumn afternoons could bring frigid winds. Covering her bare arms with her hands, her teeth chattered. Her friend sat up, pulling off her hoodie and revealing a well-worn My Chemical Romance t-shirt. It was undeniable how cute the garment had always looked on Ruby, oversized as it was. She would frequently pull up her cuffs when she wore it, which constantly fell down past her wrists and fingers. And now, she tossed it over to Weiss, quickly following that up with, “Oh, sorry if that was weird. You just looked cold, is all.”

“It’s not weird.” As she slipped into the hoodie, warmth immediately filled Weiss’s entire body. Eyes closing, she allowed herself to enjoy the heat, feeling another gust brush against the cotton, failing to penetrate it. However, her friend shivered, arms covered in goosebumps. Weiss rolled her eyes. “You okay there, Ruby?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s not too cold.” She sniffled.

“Come here, you moron.” Weiss pulled Ruby close to her, and she made a soft “eep!” before flinging her arms around the white-haired girl, relaxing in the warmth. Weiss continued, “We might want to head back.”

“Can we stay for like, five more minutes?”

“Why on earth would you want to stay out in the cold?”

“Um… well, I know you don’t like being touched, but… oh, never mind. Let’s just head back.” Her ear, which had been cold against Weiss’s neck, was now burning.

“Oh, you want to keep the hug going?” Ruby nodded. “Honestly, I’m okay with contact just as long as it’s with you.” It was impossible for the ex-heiress to not question why she didn’t mind touching her friend. Typically, physical contact with others set her on edge, and might as well have been barbed wire against her skin. Ruby was different. Her touch was just like that of anything that wasn’t a person: inherently neutral, even comfortable. Maybe it was the knowledge that she would never hurt her? Yes, that seemed likely. Or likelier than anything else, at the very least. “C’mon, let’s go back to the house first.”

The evening was spent largely in relative peace, disrupted only by a series of texts from their friend, Blake, updating the pair on the results of Yang getting high (a video depicting her laying on a couch listing off various semi-philosophical musings was sent as well). Weiss, sitting upright on the sofa, reflected on the first day in her new home while Ruby laid back against her arm, playing a video game on a DS. It would be a lie to suggest that the underlying self-hatred that dominated her psyche was cured by any stretch. But being with her best friend was something she sorely needed in a time like this, and it was a welcome distraction from the hole in her soul. The only problem was the inevitability of putting aside the distractions and facing who she was. Weiss couldn’t imagine making it through such an event alive.


	3. Chapter 3

God, English class sucked.

There was a general hazy air of abject boredom hanging low over the room of glassy-eyed teenagers while Ms. Peach droned on about the nuances of the summer reading that nobody did. Ah, well. Only fifteen minutes remained until the day ended and then Ruby would be free. Her father had agreed to allow Weiss to live in their house, and he even agreed to hire her at the Mountain Signal (where she was working right now). Speaking of Weiss, Ruby was passing the time by sketching an image of her crush in a notebook. The only thing she was having trouble with was the eyes. Eyes were always an issue with her art, as she typically went out of her way to avoid looking into them. She knew that Weiss’s eyes were an enchanting shade of pale blue, but that was about all she could remember. To finish the sketch and really get her expression right, Ruby would have to see her in person.

The bell rang, and Ruby marked her page before springing out of her seat, not wanting to be late to her job. In the midst of the vast expanse of students, a familiar set of vibrant orange curls approached her. Penny Polendina was… eccentric, to say the least, but kind-hearted all the same, and a delightful person to hang around. “Salutations, friend!” Her freckled face displayed a winning, toothy smile. “Did you sign up for robotics?”

“I can’t, I have to work every day after school. Sorry, dude.”

“Don’t worry about it. See you tomorrow!” They waved to each other, and Penny went back into the hallways. Ruby took out her headphones and let her mind wander as she walked away from Patch High, metal music blaring in her ears. Recently, she had been cuddling with Weiss in the evenings, and she absolutely loved feeling the ex-heiress’s arm around her shoulder. There was something Weiss had said the other day that made Ruby’s heart flutter every time she recalled it; being that she didn’t mind being touched provided that it was with the brunette. Of course, it couldn’t have possibly been anything more than a sign of friendship, but that didn’t stop Ruby from daydreaming about the other… ways to interpret that. The road to the Signal took her past an entrance ramp, and cars flew by her, the noise drowned out by Glassjaw’s screaming guitars. The sun shone brightly through the emerald leaves, its warmth coating her legs and face, protecting their skin from the brisk September air.

Ruby made a quick stop at her house, dropping off her bag and changing into a black button-down shirt for work. Her father, Taiyang, was a very lax person when it came to a great many things (including fashion), and made very little effort towards enforcing a worker’s dress code at the restaurant beyond “no t-shirts or flip-flops.” Still, Ruby found some form of comfort in dressing kind of well for her job. It felt professional.

Walking into the back and clocking in (albeit a couple minutes late), her father immediately said, “Good afternoon, Ruby.” He wore an apron, and stood behind the stovetop with a sort of readiness to spring into an order, should the occasion arise. “Can’t believe we didn’t hire someone besides Neptune earlier. With Weiss helping taking orders, we’re in better shape back here for the afternoon.”

Tying on her apron, she replied, “So, she’s out front?”

Taiyang nodded. Ruby walked out of the kitchen, and met her crush behind the counter. “Hey, Weiss. How’s it going?” Hastily, she straightened her clothes, hoping to make herself more presentable.

“Not too bad. I take it we’ll be busier in the evening?”

“Definitely. But it’s a weekday, so we’re probably still not looking at anything too heavy today.”

“Naturally.” Only a few orders came in during the afternoon, and once they were through, Ruby went back home, leaving her housemates behind. That was how it went; she worked the afternoon shifts every day, but on weekends, when she didn’t have school, she would help with prep work as well. It wasn’t the easiest thing ever, but she did enjoy cooking for others, and making money for doing so was a dream come true. Maybe it was a good idea to prepare some kind of dinner for Weiss.

Anxiety pierced her heart like a javelin as she thought further about the girl she loved. When she revealed that she was autistic, that was one of her two secrets out in the open. How much longer could the other, her true feelings for Weiss, stay hidden if the first only took a day? It occurred to Ruby that maybe finishing the portrait was a bad idea for the time being. It was too obvious, too likely to render their friendship to shreds. To ease the tension, she picked up her acoustic guitar, sat down on the edge of her bed, and began tuning it absentmindedly. The familiar strings no longer stung her, the skin of her fingertips having grown thick from years of practice.

Ruby didn’t play anything in particular, opting instead to switch between appropriately soft chords and dexterous, soulful renditions of major scales, hoping to find something resembling a melody. Nothing sounded clean enough, though, much to her frustration. Sighing angrily, she took out her notebook and scribbled out a few lines where she had written down those ideas.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you play guitar.”

Hastily shutting the notebook, Ruby looked over. The light from beyond the doorway to her room revealed the silhouette of Weiss’s distinct ponytail (it was always slightly off to the side, which the younger girl found adorable). Continuing, her crush walked into the room. “Well, okay, first of all, turn on the light. You’ll go blind or something.” She flicked on the lamp. “Second of all, you’re quite good at it.”

Ruby shrugged, taking care to avoid Weiss’s gaze. “Not really. I’ve never written anything that sounds good.”

“Well, whatever you were just playing sounded nice.”

Smiling sheepishly, Ruby murmured, “Thanks.” Looking back up at the white-haired girl, who now laid on her bed, she asked, “How was your day?”

“About as good as I expected. If it’s not too much trouble, can you keep playing?”

“Uh, sure.” Without thinking, her fingers took the shape of a song she knew by heart and she strummed the melody gently. The lyrics were almost audible:

“Ten times removed,

I forget about where it all began-”

Weiss looked over, head cocked to the side. “You sing, too?”

As she closed her mouth, the horrifying realization that she had indeed been singing out loud struck Ruby. Before she could stammer out an explanation, Weiss plainly said, “Relax. It didn’t sound bad or anything.”

“Um, are you sure? I’ve been told my voice sounds like a dying chipmunk.”

“I’m completely positive. Also, remind me to kill whoever said that.”

Suppressing a chuckle, Ruby said, “I don’t think that’s necessary.” She moved her hands back to the strings and resumed her cover of the Smashing Pumpkins’ “To Forgive.” Weiss’s eyes became half-lidded as she relaxed, and Ruby made a mental note of her expression, which displayed a gentle contentedness illuminated by the bedside lamp’s soft yellow glow. Her eyes looked tired, but not in the sense of exhaustion or needing to sleep, per se. Or at least, that was the best Ruby could figure out. Something was definitely wrong… maybe? Reading facial expressions had never exactly been her area of expertise. Once the song was done, she stepped over to Weiss’s bed and sat down, prompting the ex-heiress to slide over and extend an arm, inviting Ruby to lay next to her. She rested her head in the crook of her crush’s neck. Though she wasn’t sure how or when, she’d definitely have to talk to Weiss about her problems and be ready to help fix them.


	4. Chapter 4

Weiss was worried about her friend.

Tonight was the night of homecoming, and Ruby chose to stay home. Her father had been called in to chaperone the dance, leaving the two teenagers alone. And while the brunette looked to be enjoying herself as she laid against Weiss as they watched a rerun of some Gordon Ramsay show, doubts lingered in the white-haired girl’s mind. She had been to a couple school dances back in the day with her friends’ accompaniment, and it was always a fun time for everybody involved. So why was she hesitant to go now?

“Hey, Ruby?”

“Yeah?” She was leaning back against Weiss’s side (a comfortable position for the both of them), and the faint feeling of her lungs drawing in breath was therapeutic to the older girl. She looked over and sat up, silver eyes shining in the ceiling lamp’s light. “What’s up?”

“Is there any reason why you aren’t at the dance?”

A pause. “I dunno. It’s not as fun without you and Yang and everyone else.”

“Don’t you have other friends?”

“I mean, there’s this one girl, Penny, but she’s getting her appendix out today.”

“Oh. Is there anyone else?“ Ruby shook her head, and Weiss suddenly felt sorry for her friend. “How come you never told me?”

Shrugging, Ruby replied, her voice uncharacteristically quiet and her eyes kept low. “It never really came up, I guess. Sorry about that.”

Weiss leaned forwards, initiating a loose hug. “Don’t apologize, Ruby. And remember, you’ll always have me, if nobody else.”

“I know. Thank you, Weiss.” Ruby pulled a blanket over them, and they laid down together, arms wrapped snugly around one another. For once, Weiss laid a bit lower down than her friend, her head underneath the brunette’s jaw. Her heartbeat was audible (albeit a bit fast) right against the older girl’s ear, and she closed her eyes, letting the comfort wash over her. She kicked herself internally. Again, how selfish could she be? Proclaiming to always be there for Ruby and taking advantage of her hospitality, but not really knowing that much about her? They had mostly talked about school, their friends, and current events before they started living together, and embarrassingly, Weiss likely wouldn’t be able to name her “best friend’s” favorite pieces of media with a gun to her head. That would have to change. Quietly, she said, “So, do you have a favorite video game?” Smooth, Weiss. Smooth.

“Yeah, make me choose a favorite child, why don’t you?” Ruby grinned. “I guess the first Dark Souls would be up there. I don’t know if it’s the best game I’ve played, but I’ve got really fond memories of it.”

“What’s it about?”

“I couldn’t begin to explain the lore if I tried.”

“Do you still have it? I wouldn’t mind trying the game.” The Kitchen Nightmares episode hit the credits, and, a few minutes of fiddling around with HDMI cables later, a PlayStation 3 controller was in the ex-heiress’s hands. She sat upright on the couch, and Ruby was back leaning on her shoulder, hanging onto Weiss’s left arm with a gentle grin on her face. After creating a rather… strange-looking character and watching the lengthy (if gorgeous) intro cinematic, she trundled her knight through a dilapidated sort of jail. Until, of course, an enormously fat demon dropped from the ceiling and brought a massive hammer down upon her, killing her immediately. Ruby snickered, and with as much sarcasm as her voice could manage, Weiss stated, “Cool. The game’s impossible.”

“There’s a door on the left side of the room. Just run past him.”

“How very obvious.”

Ruby laughed softly and shifted. “Hey, Weiss?”

“Yes?”

“Um, I don’t know if this is a weird question to ask, but… are you doing alright? Like, with life or whatever?”

“Pertaining to being kicked out of my dad’s house?”

“I guess. But I meant more in general.”

“Oh.” Could Ruby be trusted with any of the pieces of the truth of Weiss’s troubled mind? Well, of course she could. Receiving judgment from her was never a possibility. The end result of exposing her most vulnerable side would doubtlessly be relief, but the process… the process of doing so would hurt. At any rate, though, Weiss had taken long enough to answer that there was no way that a “no” would be convincing. Gulping deeply and steeling her nerves, she rested at a bonfire in the game before putting the controller down and murmuring, “I don’t really know if I’m okay.”

“What’s wrong?” Ruby turned around, grey irises showing no malice.

Every negative memory in Weiss’s life flashed before her eyes, from all the fights with her father to the all the times in her youth that she had harshly reprimanded Ruby for doing effectively nothing. She moved a few strands of hair out of her eyes, saying, “I’m not sure where to begin.” Her breath quickened and the edge of her vision became blurry, bringing her to the realization that she may have made a sizable mistake in opening up.

“Hey, take as much time as you need.” Warm hands wrapped themselves around pale digits. If Weiss didn’t know better, she’d say that Ruby had a bona fide superpower that let her exude relief. And as Ruby’s thumbs rubbed Weiss’s palms, calm overtook her once again. “Y’know how you said I’d always have you? The same goes for you, dude. No matter what.”

“Ruby…” She looked down at her lap, only to realize that her friend’s legs, clad in soft fleece pajama pants, were stretched across. The brunette seemed to take notice, blushing and stuttering something along the lines of, “Oh, I didn’t notice-”

Weiss ruffled Ruby’s hair and motioned her to stay. “You don’t have to move. Remember, I like contact with you, you doof.” The younger girl smiled, her blush intensifying. “And now you’ve done it again,” said Weiss, a smile of her own uncontrollably stretching itself across her face.

“Done what?”

“For the entire time I’ve been living here, you’ve done or said something nice every time I felt low, and it really helps a lot. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Ruby.”

“I’m glad I could help,” the silver-eyed girl responded, hugging Weiss snugly. “Do you still want to talk about your problems?”

“Not tonight, if that’s okay. I know it’ll help to open up, but I need some time to prepare.”

“That’s fine.” Ruby looked at the clock, cheeks still a bright scarlet. “I think I’m gonna hit the hay pretty soon, I’ve got work in the morning.” She quickly breathed in. “Oh, what if… no, never mind, that’s a stupid idea.”

“Try me.”

“Okay, so, this is kind of personal, but when my mom died, she gave me that hoodie I wear all the time.” Her face had fallen considerably. “Y’know, the red one that doesn’t really fit that well.”

“You gave that to me once, right?”

Ruby nodded. “Every time I feel bad, I put it on and it makes me feel better about the situation. I was wondering if I could give you one of my jackets?”

It was now Weiss’s turn to blush. “Ruby…” She tightened the embrace between them. “You’re too kind to me, I swear.”

“You make it easy.” Upon hearing this, Weiss felt her heart swell.

The pair went to bed immediately afterwards, Weiss wearing a comfortable Star Wars sweater, courtesy of her friend. Much to Ruby’s amazement, it was not a movie (or rather, series of films) that the ex-heiress had seen, and she was subsequently persuaded by the grey-eyed girl to watch the “original trilogy” tomorrow. Nothing about the current state of Weiss’s life felt… real. It was too obscenely enjoyable to be real, too free from the judgement she’d become accustomed to over the past eighteen years. Every night so far, she had gone to sleep expecting to wake up back in the home of Jacques Schnee, only to receive the same pleasant surprise. The Xiao Long-Rose house was now her home.


	5. Chapter 5

“So, you guys are never going to believe this.”

Yang was back in her childhood home, relaxed as she sat in her favorite armchair. Her girlfriend, Blake, was down the road catching up with her parents, but regardless, her excitement over whatever she wanted to share could not be quelled. Ruby kept her head firmly on Weiss’s shoulder, and plucked away at her guitar. Surprisingly, Yang hadn’t yet made any snarky comments about their position yet. The blonde continued, “Jaune’s got a girlfriend.”

“You’re kidding,” Weiss said. Ruby couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

“I could not have made this up if I tried. She actually asked him out on the third day at campus.”

“There’s no fucking way,” the ex-heiress deadpanned. Ruby cracked a grin at this; it was rare to hear her crush swear, making it much funnier to her whenever she did. Yang whipped out her phone and pulled out photographic proof. Jaune’s freckled face bore a bright, toothy smile as a tan girl with bright crimson hair hugged him from behind, her eyes closed. “Her name’s Pyrrha, and she’s pretty chill. Transfer student from Greece.”

“Oh, cool.” Ruby piped up, and Yang snapped her fingers. “You’re in Miss Fall’s class now, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Please tell her that she can shove her rubrics so far-” She made an upwards motion with her arm.

“Yang!” Weiss was indignant. “That is a teacher you’re talking about.”

“I’m studying to be a teacher, I get to talk shit about ‘em now.”

“God help your students.”

Yang laughed, and changed the subject. “So, how’s life in the ol’ shack, Weiss?”

“Better than my father’s house, that’s for sure.”

The blonde leaned forwards and nodded at the girls on the couch. “Good, good. So, what happened to Miss Don’t Touch Me?”

Weiss raised an eyebrow, and Ruby blushed furiously (hopefully, Yang wouldn’t comment on that). The older girl quietly said, “Perhaps she’s softened up a bit.”

“Aww.” Yang made a heart with her hands, and Ruby threw a pillow at her. “Oh, come on,” she responded, laughing and moving her hair out of her eyes, “you two are such a power couple.”

“Yang!” Ruby exclaimed, face now the deepest crimson imaginable. Thankfully, she was saved from having to continue with this line of questioning by Blake showing up. “‘Lo, everybody,” said the Faunus before placing a hand on Yang’s shoulder. “We need to get going soon, traffic looks like a nightmare tonight.”

After they went out the door, Ruby turned to face Weiss. “I’ll be right back, just got to talk to Yang really quickly.”

When she reached her sister, Blake was already in the car. Yang turned, violet eyes glimmering in the porchlight. “Hey, Rubes. What’s up?”

“Um, how did you and Blake end up together again?”

“You’re in love with Weiss, aren’t you?”

“How did you-”

“Ruby.” Though her tone had initially been somewhat teasing, Yang now had a sisterly wisdom to her. “Ever since you’ve known Weiss, I’ve been watching you fall in love with her, and frankly, I’ve been rooting for you two the whole time. Even on the dates I went on with her, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was looking at the wrong sister. I really do need to be on my way, but remember: you’re going to need to tell her sometime. You can’t keep holding onto your feelings forever.”

“When is sometime?”

Yang shrugged, and before she climbed into the driver’s seat, she replied, “When it’s time, you’ll know. But make sure you do it before it’s too late.”

As Ruby headed back inside, she mulled over the implications of Yang’s advice. At the cafe, she felt her gut twist every time she looked out front and saw Weiss laughing at something Neptune Vasilias, the other member of the wait staff, said. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she was jealous. Furthermore, she felt a tinge of inadequacy setting in. Why would Weiss ever love her? Especially compared to Neptune, handsome and charismatic as he was. But hope filled her heart when Weiss immediately slung an arm around her once they were both situated again. The only time she had seen Nep make contact with her was a playful nudge to the arm, at which Weiss’s eyes immediately narrowed. Unless Ruby was reading too deep into things, hoping for a way out of the possibility of her crush falling for someone else?

At any rate, Weiss had been acting very interested in Ruby’s hobbies as of late. Hell, when Yang showed up, the two of them had just finished watching the original Star Wars trilogy, which Weiss described as “more than a little corny, but not bad at all.” Of course, when Yang caught wind of that, it again sparked the debate over whether the new trilogy was any good (it wasn’t, as far as Ruby, an Original Trilogy purist, was concerned), but that was besides the point. And just yesterday, Weiss had voluntarily tried Dark Souls. Ruby didn’t know what exactly the feeling of this was, but she certainly didn’t mind it. Her phone buzzed, and a lengthy text from her father popped up. After reading it, she asked, “Hey, Weiss? Did you have plans for next week?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“You remember how when you first came here, my dad was dealing with a family emergency?” A nod. “Well, my uncle got a DUI the night before. He’s out of jail now, and he’s quitting drinking. Basically, he asked my dad to come down to his place in Vacuo for support, and Dad’s taking me with him. They’re both asking if you’re coming, too.”

“I don’t see why not. Plus, we can go on vacation for our birthday.” Ruby and Weiss were both born on Halloween. “I’m sorry to hear about your uncle, by the way.”

“It’s okay. He’s a good person, he’s just got an alcohol problem.”

“My mom had the same problem. I don’t know if she still does, seeing as she walked out before I met you.”

This was news to Ruby. “Your mom left you?”

Weiss nodded. “I don’t remember her too well, but she always had a cocktail in her hand. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I guess.”

“It’s still pretty messed up. You deserve way better.”

“Don’t worry about it. I have better now.” At this, she wrapped her other arm around Ruby and squeezed gently. The younger girl closed her eyes, hugged her back, and whispered, “You’re the best, dude. Like, just the absolute best.”

“You flatter me, Ruby.” It could have been her imagination, but she could swear that the ex-heiress’s face had turned a bit pinker.

Ruby couldn’t sleep that night. She held her pillow, she listened to Weiss’s gentle breathing, she tossed and turned and counted sheep, and nothing worked. She took up her phone, lowering the brightness so as to retain her sense of vision, and sent a text message to Yang (surely, she’d be awake at midnight on a Saturday) reading, “do you think Weiss likes me back?”

A few minutes later, Yang replied, “so, i’m not really an expert on this sort of thing, but i’m almost 100% certain that she’s in love with you. we dated for a couple weeks back in the day, and the way she looks at you is way more affectionate than how she ever looked at me. the catch is, i don’t think she knows that she loves you yet. keep what i told you earlier in mind, but don’t rush her. she needs to figure out how she feels about you on her own. good luck sis. you got this :)”

Ruby gulped, turned off her phone, and laid back down. It was reassuring to hear that there was definitely a chance of avoiding rejection. But how in the fresh hell was she supposed to know whether or not Weiss was ready? Reading people’s emotions was incredibly difficult for her, let alone the subtleties and nuances of relationships. She loved Weiss with all of her heart. If her feelings really were reciprocated, why couldn’t that just be enough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, thank you all for the positive feedback! If there's any suggestions at all, please let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

Yang Xiao Long’s phone buzzed at ten at night. Blake Belladonna rested her head on her lap, a novel in her hands and Yang’s hand gently stroking her cat ears. The blonde picked up the phone, and a devilish grin (a la the Grinch getting a wonderful, awful idea) came to her. Weiss had texted her, confessing that she was starting to see Ruby in a romantic light. Yang cracked her neck and chuckled. Blake looked up, and asked, “What did you do?”

“Nothing yet. But the next few days are going to be very, very fun.”

\---

Vacuo made for a lovely place to stay.

A small little rural area in upstate New York, Qrow Branwen lived here, in a relatively large cabin. When Weiss asked about how he was able to afford it, he said, “I had a seafood restaurant in Maine for a while. Plus, I was one of the first investors in Apple.”

Immediately upon arrival, Ruby had sprinted to the backyard. The next sight to befall Weiss’s eyes was her friend, standing in the snow, a chicken in her arms with three more of the birds swarming her feet. The unbridled joy painted across her face was enough to spread warmth throughout Weiss’s entire body. A few days ago, Yang had jokingly called the two friends a “power couple.” The blonde teased people relentlessly. Weiss had known this for well over a decade. And there was no point in dancing around the reason why she hadn’t forgotten; she had feelings for Ruby.

After getting a picture with Qrow’s chickens (at the cost of his rooster, Rocko, giving a rather frank declaration of bloodlust towards a certain ex-heiress), Ruby practically dragged Weiss to the basement. It was initially a source of confusion for the white-haired girl as to why her friend- no, her crush, had been hyping up her uncle’s basement, but it was now clear. A ping-pong table, a pool table, working arcade machines? This wasn’t a room she’d mind having in her house someday. Especially not if Ruby was living there, this sort of room was practically a heaven for the younger girl.

Well now, where did that come from? Feelings were one thing, but wanting to live with her in the future? That seemed extreme. Or was it? It might be time to look back and think about whether this was really a new development.

Qrow treated his three visitors to dinner that night, at some local Italian joint. The houses they passed all had Halloween decorations up, reminding Weiss that it was, indeed, October 30th. She’d be turning nineteen tomorrow, and Ruby would be seventeen. In fact, the first time that Weiss ever slowed down and started looking at the brunette in a positive light was their first shared birthday, eleven years ago. How the time flew.

“Wait, did you say your name was Weiss Schnee?” Qrow’s gravelly voice asked from the passenger seat of the car.

“Mhm. Why do you ask?”

“Any relation to Winter Schnee?”

“She’s my sister.”

“Heh, small world. She’s my parole officer.”

“What’s she like?” Ruby quietly questioned.

“Honestly, she’s pretty nice. Not at all like the rest of my family.”

“That’s good to hear,” said Ruby, a soft ring to her voice. This was one of the things that sent butterflies through Weiss’s core, the way her friend’s tone softened when she was tired.

“She’s checking in on me tomorrow. Which reminds me, Tai, can I borrow some piss? There’s supposed to be a drug test.”

“Qrow!” Everyone was indignant.

“Relax, there’s not even a drug test.”

People generally looked more peaceful when they slept. This was especially true of Ruby, ever adorable as she slumbered away on the sofa in Qrow’s basement. Her upper half was cradled in Weiss’s arms, and the older girl couldn’t keep a smile off her face. Her phone screen lit up on the end table. She picked it up, having forgotten that she’d left it there, and saw that Yang had texted her back.

“Shit,” she whispered. It was definitely a mistake to go to Yang for advice on this. She was just as defensive of Ruby as Weiss was, if not more. She swallowed, breathed deeply, and opened up the message.

“i wasn’t kidding the other day. you two would be a fantastic couple.”

Huh. That was unexpected. “I thought you’d be pissed.”

“nope. ruby’s definitely in love with you so go for it dude.”

“Wait, what? Really?”

“dude. as brilliant as you are, you’re kind of dense sometimes.”

“Very funny.” Might as well say more. “I’m concerned, though. She deserves way better than me.”

“maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t. but she doesn’t want better. she just wants you.”

That was Yang for you. Blunt, sarcastic, more than a little crude, but damn if she wasn’t insightful. Weiss turned off her phone, and someone’s footsteps came down the stairs. Qrow peered around the corner, and Weiss put a finger to her lips, nodding at Ruby. He raised his eyebrows and nodded back, and whispered, “I have the photo of you two with the chickens. What’s your number, so I can send it to you?”

When Qrow left, Ruby stirred. Grey eyes blinked, and she wearily asked, “Did I fall asleep?”

“A bit. You should probably go to bed.”

“Nh. I’m comfortable here.”

Weiss felt blood rush to her ears. “Me too, but you ought to get some proper sleep, you doofus.”

“Maybe we should just sleep in the same bed.” Weiss didn’t respond to that, and Ruby sat up, rubbed her eyes, and said, “Wait, no, forget I said that. ‘Night, Weiss.”

“I’m okay with that plan.” The brunette’s blush was visible even in the dim light.

Upon getting situated in one of the guest bedrooms, Ruby fell asleep nearly immediately. Meanwhile, the white-haired girl chose to look at what Qrow had sent her. When she looked at the photo, she put a hand over her mouth and had to blink hard to hold back tears.

On the right, Ruby stood with a red hen on each shoulder, eyes shut with her face frozen in the middle of a hearty laugh. But Weiss, standing on the left with a black hen in her arms, actually looked happy. This had never, in all eighteen years and 364 days of the ex-heiress’s life, been shown in a photograph. No fake smiles here, no lifeless eyes, only contentedness. Of course, the world’s most vicious rooster was standing between their feet, and now Weiss knew that an attack was imminent in that moment, but that was nothing compared to the preservation of a lovely memory. She wrapped both arms around Ruby. Oh, to be young and in love.


	7. Chapter 7

Ruby awoke about half past four in the morning to the sound of footsteps. Weiss was no longer next to her, but the spot where she had been was still warm. Curious, Ruby slipped out of bed and put on slippers. The basement door audibly opened, prompting her to pull on a parka before investigating, as well as grab her mom’s hoodie. Before following Weiss out the door, she listened for a moment. All she could hear was the sound of deep breathing. Tentatively, she slipped outside, and there stood her crush, leaning back against the side of the house. Snow fell gently from the sky, melting on Weiss’s face and bare arms, which were folded across her chest.

“Weiss? It’s, like, four degrees outside.”

“Ruby. I’m sorry to wake you.” Her words were concerningly quiet, and she looked paler than usual. Ruby’s pulse hastened.

“Don’t worry about that. Just come back to bed.”

“I can’t. I need fresh air or I’ll puke.”

“What’s going on?”

“Nightmare. More of a flashback, really.”

“Oh.” Slowly and hesitantly, Ruby reached over and rubbed Weiss’s back, remembering that this was helpful when she was first kicked out of her home. “You’re not alone. Not anymore.”

“I know.” Weiss, having slowed her breath, looked down at her feet. Ruby’s eyes followed, and she noticed that her friend was barefoot standing in the snow. “Are you still nauseous?”

“Not really. I thi-” She was interrupted by the younger of the two pulling her inside and handing her a familiar crimson hoodie. Ruby said, “Sorry, I just really don’t want to see you freeze.”

“I understand.” Weiss’s voice was hollow, and the brunette’s heart was aching. What had happened to her? For better or for worse, once they were back in bed, her curiosity was satiated. “I suppose you’re probably wondering what I saw?”

“I guess.”

Weiss turned on the lamp, and Ruby saw sorrow in her face. She said, “Do you remember prom?”

“Yeah, that was pretty fun."

“My dad didn’t think so. When he learned that someone spiked the punch, he was furious. Said I was a drunken harlot, no better than my mother. Funny thing is, I didn’t even drink the punch.” She laughed bitterly. “I’ve seen pictures of her when she was my age, and go figure, I’m a dead ringer for her. So, I told him to stop taking out his anger towards her on me. Reasonable enough, right?” Ruby nodded, and Weiss continued. “Again, he didn’t think so. He pushed me down the stairs. But that’s not what I saw in my nightmare.”

She took a rattly breath inwards, and said, “I relived what I did afterwards.” As she rolled up her pant leg, Ruby’s jaw dropped. Horizontal red lines marred her calf, at apparently random intervals and lengths, and in different stages of scarring. Weiss murmured, “The scary thing is, it felt good. I felt relieved, y’know? It was only once, though. I haven’t felt the urge to do it since I moved in with you.” At this point, tears steadily flowed down Ruby’s face. “I’m sorry, Ruby. I… look, you’re the only person I don’t feel like shit around. And it’s not fair to put that kind of pressure on you. You shouldn’t feel obligated to put up with me because you think I’ll hurt myself if you don’t. Especially seeing as I’ve just made you cry.”

“I’m not upset at you.” Ruby’s voice broke, and she sniffled. “I’m only angry at your dad, it’s just so fucked, the things he did to you.” Weiss’s eyebrows shot up (the silver-eyed girl never swore). “It’s not a question of putting up with you because I really do enjoy being around you and you’re my best friend and I’m crying because I don’t want to see you hurt-” The speed of her breathing and speech had increased to the point of near-hyperventilation, leading Weiss to pull her close. Ruby shakily whispered, “I love you.”

Wait. Did she just say that out loud?

Well, that was definitely the end of their friendship. Yang’s advice of playing it carefully was just thrown out the window, and now everything would change. And during the worst possible time, too. Weiss didn’t need to hear that now. How could there ever be a way out of this?

“Oh, Ruby…” Weiss tightened her grip. “My love…”

“W-what?”

“I love you too. I only figured it out recently, but I think I’ve felt this way for much, much longer than that.”

“Oh my god.” Ruby laughed, the tears slowing down. “Is this a dream?”

“I hope not.” Their hands met, and before either of them knew it, their lips had met as well. Ruby had always imagined that kissing someone would be an enjoyable experience, but she never could have imagined anything like what she felt. Weiss’s lips were so far beyond soft, and Ruby felt warm arms wrapping around her waist. When they pulled apart, the ex-heiress said, “Thank you, Ruby. You’ve made this go from a horrible morning to the best morning of my life.”

“So, you’re feeling better, then?”

“Definitely.”

“I’m glad.” Ruby nuzzled Weiss’s neck. “I just want you to be happy.”

“To borrow your expression, you make it easy.”

“Can we kiss again?”

“From here on out, you don’t have to ask.” Hand trembling, Ruby cupped Weiss’s cheek, and her new girlfriend returned the gesture, gently pulling her forwards into their second kiss. “You’re good at this.”

“So are you. I had no idea it would be so fun.”

Weiss smiled, her eyes half-lidded and gleaming. Yawning, she laid on her back. “Come here, darling. I’m so tired.”

Ruby laid next to her, head on Weiss’s shoulder. They had done this several times before, but never explicitly as lovers. Questions lingered about how they would bring this up to her father and Qrow (and, come to think of it, Winter). That seemed far away, though. For the time being, catching up on some much-needed sleep alongside the love of her life was in order.

“Hey, Weiss?”

“Yeah?”

“Happy birthday.”


End file.
